The Return to Work Benefit for New and Growing Families

FAQs for Employers

• Is Milk Stork just for breastfeeding employees?

  No. While Milk Stork is widely known as the category definer for breast milk shipping, we’ve evolved to so much more. 

  We invented breast milk shipping because working moms deserved better. And over the last decade of serving parents in this way, we’ve become fluent in the many barriers parents face during the first year of working parenthood as they look to balance the professional and the personal. Because of this, we’ve stepped in to solve more of these challenges and support parents through early parenthood with services that span lactation consulting, travel-friendly breast milk transport, return-to-work resources, resources for healthy sleep, compliant lactation rooms and pumping supplies, and so much more. 

• How does the Milk Stork benefit work?

  Employees access their Milk Stork benefits through a branded company portal where they can easily order the services available through their employer’s program. 

  Depending on the benefit structure, employees can request services such as milk shipping for work travel, virtual lactation consulting, pumping supplies, or other parent support resources. Ordering is simple and billing is handled directly through the employer, so employees receive the support they need without administrative friction.

• What problems does Milk Stork help employers solve?

  Milk Stork helps employers address several challenges tied to early parenthood in the workplace, including:

  • Employee attrition related to lack of support and stress after having a child
  • Avoidable healthcare costs related to poor health outcomes and barriers to persisting with breastfeeding
  • Lack of focus and productivity due to stress, overwhelming logistics and poor sleep
  • Lack of HR knowledge or confidence in how best to support new parents and comply with federal mandates

  • Lack of return-to-work and return-to-office transition planning and support tools

• What kinds of benefits does Milk Stork offer employees?

  Milk Stork programs can include a range of services that support employees through early parenthood, including:

  • Breast milk shipping and transport solutions for work travel
  • Lactation room kits and workplace compliance support
  • Virtual lactation consulting with certified experts
  • Parent support and wellness resources
  • Insurance-covered pumping supplies
  • SNOO Smart Sleeper bassinet rentals
  • Access to sleep consultants

  Employers can tailor benefit structures based on their workforce and organizational needs.

• How does billing work?

  Milk Stork offers direct billing to employers, which removes the need for employee reimbursement or expense reporting. Employees simply access the services available through their employer’s program, and billing is handled directly through the Milk Stork platform for a seamless experience. No problematic conversations between employees and managers and no potential for discrimination.  

  Employers are only invoiced for the orders that their employees actually place.

• Is reporting provided? Is there an administration dashboard?

  Yes. Milk Stork provides employers with visibility into program usage and engagement through reporting and platform insights. These tools help HR and benefits teams understand how employees are using the benefit while tracking engagement and program utilization.

  In addition to robust reporting, Milk Stork also provides benefits administrators a comprehensive and easy tool to manage the benefit all in one place.

• What kind of customer support is provided?

  Milk Stork provides dedicated customer support to help employees access and use their benefits. Employees receive tailored support throughout the entire process: from ordering services to managing logistics, all the way through to successful delivery of their breast milk or other order, ensuring they can access the support they need when they need it. We also provide end-to-end logistics oversight of all shipments, intervening when there are issues or delays, advocating with the carrier on the employee’s behalf, and helping the employee adjust when unexpected issues like weather delays arise.

• Does Milk Stork support parents with different needs for breastmilk shipping (e.g., shipping fresh vs. shipping frozen vs. carrying through TSA)?

  Yes. Milk Stork offers solutions for fresh and frozen shipping, carrying-on or daily transport,  and moving to a new home with your stash. All Milk Stork coolers are medical-grade and are equipped to help employees ship milk home overnight from a work trip, carry it as a travel companion, or safely ship their frozen supply.
  
  

• Is this worth it for smaller companies with only a few breastfeeding employees?

  Yes. Even a small number of employees navigating early parenthood can represent high-value talent within an organization. Because we offer much more than breastfeeding benefits, supporting employees at this stage can help prevent avoidable attrition and ensure parents can remain engaged in their roles. 

  Milk Stork provides employers with solutions for:

  • Lactation rooms and inconsistent, reactive, and non-compliant lactation support

  • Decreased productivity driven by the stress of early parenthood (e.g., lost sleep, breastfeeding challenges, etc.)

  • Rising healthcare costs linked to poor outcomes and barriers to breastfeeding

  • Supporting for non-birthing parents and intended parents through milk sourcing via surrogates

  • Supporting employees experiencing NICU and/or hospital stays in the first year of their child’s life

• Does Milk Stork help with PUMP Act compliance?

  Yes, Milk Stork supports organizations navigating lactation accommodation requirements by providing guidance and consulting on room compliance, hospital grade breast pumps, pumping supplies, and other resources that help standardize support for lactating employees. These tools help employers translate compliance requirements into practical workplace support.

• Is Milk Stork’s implementation simple?

  Yes. Milk Stork is designed to be a turnkey benefit that’s quick to launch and simple to manage. Implementation can take as little as one to two days, with no need for complex setup or ongoing administrative lift.

  With SSO-supported employee portals, direct billing, and a setup process that avoids unnecessary steps like eligibility files, employees can access their benefits seamlessly while HR teams stay out of the weeds. 

  Milk Stork also provides ready-to-use communication materials and a streamlined ordering experience, making the program easy to roll out, easy to use, and easy to maintain over time.